THE HUMOURS OF THE RACECOURSE 113 



European breeding, and for all comers, Arab or 

 European, not to mention a race a la haie, or hurdle- 

 race, to which I looked forward with great interest. 

 Besides this, there was to be a defile des etalons of the 

 government stnd, a march-past of the troops, and a 

 grand fantasia by the goums. While studying the 

 programme, there arose on the right a sound as if a 

 lunatic piper, who had escaped from his keepers, was 

 striking up the most insane piece in his repertoire. It 

 was only the band of one of the goums, who thought 

 to enliven the proceedings with a little music ; and 

 to that end played an air, which, like Arab music in 

 general, was well calculated to make a man do some- 

 thing desperate. The effect of this on the knot of 

 mounted Arabs opposite was precisely that which the 

 untimely crow of a restless cock produces on his 

 rival in a neighbouring yard. A stately old fellow, 

 whom I had been respecting as a possible sheikh, or 

 shereef, or something of that sort, owing to his impos- 

 ing appearance, suddenly whipped a flageolet out of 

 the hood of his burnous ; his next neighbour disclosed 

 a pair of small kettledrums ; three or four more 

 produced musical instruments in an equally unex- 

 pected manner ; and the moment the opposition band 

 had blown itself breathless, they crowed defiance to 

 it in a tune that was, if possible, a trifle more exas- 

 perating. The contest was kept np with a great 

 deal of spirit and pretty equal success during the 

 day. ... 



I 



